MERRY CHRISTMAS and BEST OF LUCK WEBER LR Samuels Enjoy the FINEST in DAIRY PRODUCTS "CREAM O' WEBER" Weber Central Dairy Ass'n. Ogden, Utah Clothing Company WATSON TANNER "Smart Apparel" NATIONALLY ADVERTISED BRANDS of Home Furnishings FURNITURE AND CARPET CO. The Store With the Friendly Doors BOOK REVIEWS A Timely Subject Mormon Country by Wallace Stegner Duell, Sloan & Pearse, 1942. IN choosing Wallace Stegner to write the Mormon volume of his "American Folkways" series, Erskin Caldwell has shown superior judgment, for Mr. Stegner is not only an author of at least three distinctive books, but he has lived in "Mormon Country" for about fifteen years and he knows the Mormons as well as any one who is not one himself can know them. Also, the appearance of the book is timely. Within the last three years, several best selling novels have been written on the Mormon theme, and reader's interest in the Mormons has been aroused. Mr. Stegner shows careful research and accurate knowledge as he describes the geography and geological aspects of the "Mormon Country" which is comprised of Utah, Southern Idaho, Western Nevada, Northern Arizona, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Indeed, in all fairness, it is only just to say that the author shows an honest effort to present the facts about the Mormon people as faithfully as he can interpret them. It is by far the most unbiased piece of nonaction on the Mormons yet written. As his three previous books have indicated, Stegner is a capable and dextrous author who has the ability to make his characters human. With sympathy and humor, he portrays the characters of J. Golden Kimball, Earl Douglass, Jesse Knight, and Everett Ruesse, the young, adventurous lover of the beautiful. They live in this book as surely as they did in life. Stegner's writing ability shows up particularly in his chapter called "Mormon Trees" in which he likened the tall, vertical Lombardy poplars planted by the Mormons to the Mormons themselves when he says, "They look Heavenward but their roots are in earth. The Mormons looked toward Heaven but his Heaven was a Heaven on earth and he would inherit bliss in the flesh." Several Chapters of the book are devoted to the Gentile people in the "Mormon Country" who Stegner seems to thing may eventually dilute Mormondom. Stegner uses the Gentiles and Mormon's as foils, contrasting that which he admires in each group against that which he dislikes. Largely, however, the book is of the Mormon people, "A dedicated, regimented, group-conscious and heaven-conscious people," and of the country which they founded. A country, Stegner says, that breeds the impossible. BY WEALTHY PURRINGTON Another War Story Random Harvest by James Hilton Little, Brown & Co., 1942. JAMES Hilton has done it again. Out of the years following the world war has come a story of romance, tragedy, suffering, and bewilderment. This is the story of Charles Ranier, wealthy politician and businessman. This is the story of the suffering which war has brought into the personal life of Paula Ridgeway. The novel has been divided into five parts, each giving intimate glimpses into Charles Ranier's life. The book itself approaches perfection in every detail, never varying in interest or lessening in excitement and suspense. The locale is England. Charles Ranier, having personally met a certain Mr. Harrison on a train, engages him as his private secretary. The two men become very close friends, but Harrison vaguely distrusts Helen, Ranier's party-giving wife. At the country estate, belonging to Charles, Harrison learns about Ranier's past life. He finds that Charles, has once had amnesia and can remember nothing about his life from the time he served in the trenches in France until he slips on a Liverpool street. A man of many moods he returns to Stourton, his father's estate just in time to inherit two hundred thousand pounds which he takes with him to Cambridge, to school. However, when he learns of the poor handling of the family funds, he returns and manages the family enterprises in time to save them from financial ruin. It seems that on Armistice day he escaped from the hospital and wandered alone on the streets. He was picked up by an actress, friendly Paula Ridgeway. She found him a night's lodging and loaned him some money, cared for him until he was able to care for himself. By that time they are greatly in love and on a holiday in the country, Charles marries her, but because of an unfortunate accident with a railroad guard, the two are forced to flee to London to hide from the police. Gradually the hunt dies down as the guard slowly recovers. One day Paula tells him that she is going to have a child. He goes to Liverpool to sell a story he has written, and while there he slips on the wet pavement, falls, recovers his memory and leaves for Stourton, unaware that Paula has ever existed. Harrison, incredulous at the story he has heard, permits Charles to search for Paula at the place of his honeymoon in the country. Meanwhile, Charles' wife, Helen, who's real identity is Paula Ridgeway, leaves to join Charles; and at the exact place of their holiday in the country, she joins her husband. At last Charles Ranier has found the peace and happiness he has seached for so long. Because of the rather complicated plot a less skillful author would have muddled the story, but under the expert handling of James Hilton, every detail is clear and moving. by Joe Jensen Steinbeck's Latest The Moon is Down by John Steinbeck Scribners, 1942. APRIL, 1942, introduced to the New York stage a new and topical drama, adapted from John Steinbeck's moving novel The Moon is Down. Patronizing man's congenital love for freedom, this story revolves about the attempt of military invaders to suppress the spirits of the seemingly slow inhabitants of an average town, THE IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOUR FRIENDS IN THE ARMED FORCES Keep in Touch with Local News OGDEN, UTAH A. L. Glasmann, Editor and General Manager Frank Francis, Associate Editor Leonard G. Diehl, Associate Genl. Mgr. COMPLIMENTS OF Utah Power and Light Company